Stadium Forum meet planning consultant

The CCFC Stadium Forum has met a senior planning consultant working on the club’s proposed new stadium.

The group of supporters, chaired by local businesswoman Sandra Garlick, includes fans of all ages. Some attend matches at Sixfields while others haven’t attended a home game since the move to groundshare.

The Forum has been brought together to help supporters influence the new ground the club wants to build in the Coventry area.

At the latest meeting, supporters heard from Mike Best, of Turley Planning Consultants, who spelled out the work that had been undertaken so far and the process the club is going through to build its new ground.

Garlick said that supporters had pressed Best, who was joined by chief executive Tim Fisher, on why information was being kept confidential.

She said: “The group was really keen to find out more because there is, undoubtedly, a sense of frustration out there at the amount of information being released.

“Mike said he had been involved with a number of football clubs and that it wasn't unusual to keep information under wraps until such time as it could be released.

“He said that he was part of a wider team being employed by the club and that a great deal of work had already been done. He said that was how the club had reduced to two the number of sites they were working towards.

“Mike told us that many of the potential hurdles could be foreseen and jumped at this stage in the hope that it could speed up the planning process but said that couldn't be guaranteed.

“As football fans, the majority of us aren't expert in matters of planning, especially on this scale, so it was an interesting insight and members of the group were grateful for the update.”

She added: “Tim gave an update on an economic impact assessment that has been carried out and that details how the new ground will bring positive benefits to the local area in which it is to be built.

“He also told us that earlier feedback, especially around the history of the club, was being passed onto the architects to work into their plans.

“Ultimately, we all want the club back in the Coventry area and we want the new stadium to be a home that all of the supporters can be proud of and that can provide a long-term future for Coventry City Football Club.”